Servus Christi
In several places in his epistles (including a self-application in Romans 1:1), St. Paul uses the term “δοῦλος Χριστοῦ,” usually translated into English as “servant of Christ,” leaning on the Latin translation “servus.” However, a more accurate translation might be “slave of Christ,” reflecting the reality that we Christians are, in the words of Bob Dylan, “property of Jesus,” and also considering the fact that a “δοῦλος” was not a hired valet or butler, along the lines of Jeeves to Wooster.
At any rate, there is no higher calling for the Christian than to be a servant, as our Lord made very clear “on the night when He was betrayed.” He washed the disciples’ feet, carrying out the lowly work of the slave, that which is despised by the world, but that which we servi Christi understand to be our calling in the kingdom.
“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.”
In light of this vocation of the Christian as servant of our Lord, Concordia College New York recognizes outstanding Christian service in their annual graduation exercises. This award is considered the college’s highest honor. Last year, there were two recipients of the Servant of Christ Award: Dr. Bruce Kintz and Mr. Walter Newsome.
Dr. Kintz and his work as the CEO of Concordia Publishing House is well-known. But I suspect the work of Mr. Newsome is a little less recognized among LCMS Lutherans.
Walter “Hawk” Newsome is a 2003 graduate of Concordia College New York. He is the president and founder of the Greater New York Chapter of Black Lives Matter. He may be one of the most prominent and visible graduates of his alma mater.
In February, he was interviewed by Tomi Lauren on Fox News, where he “argued that his organization and others like it are justified in using destruction to call attention to their grievances with American society.” When asked if vandalism is an acceptable form of protest, Newsome answered, “I think that it is a tool of white supremacy to say if you want freedom, then you get it by protesting peacefully.” He put the idea of vandalism into perspective by saying, “For a country that drops bombs on people, for a country that incarcerates people, for a country that enslaves people - to criticize us for vandalism is preposterous.”
In March of 2019, Hawk Newsome took part in a televised debate with the noted black conservative Candace Owens:
More recently, Hawk Newsome made international headlines in this June 3, 2020 article in the Daily Mail. In response to the horrific police killing of George Floyd, Mr. Newsome, speaking on behalf of his organization, Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, stated: “We prepare to stop these murders by any means necessary. We are preparing and training our people to defend our communities.” He was quoted in the article as supporting a “war on police.”
Vice did a short video highlighting Mr. Newsome and his work in New York City. Some quotes in his own words: “Give black people their rights, or we will burn this country to ashes,” “While we got the country by this [expletive], we’re gonna shove legislation right down its throat,” “[expletive] peace! We want some Malcolm [expletive] now,” and “We want a revolution.” You can watch the ten minute video here:
Mr. Newsome was recently on another Fox News program where he made himself clear: “If this country doesn't give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it. All right? And I could be speaking ... figuratively. I could be speaking literally. It's a matter of interpretation,” while at the same time walking back his position a bit: “I don’t condone nor do I condemn rioting, but I’m just telling you what I observed.”
He also invoked our Blessed Lord in the interview, and provided a window into the christology of this Concordia College New York Servant of Christ:
"I love the Lord and my Lord and savior," Newsome responded to MacCallum's prompt. "Jesus Christ is the most famous black radical revolutionary in history. And he was treated just like Dr. King. He was arrested on occasion and he was also crucified or assassinated. This is what happens to black activists. We are killed by the government."
The Federalist recently published an article examining the compatibility of Black Lives Matter with Christianity. If you want to read what BLM is all about in their own words, you can read it here. Their mission includes, “We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure,” and “We foster a queer‐affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking.”
Concordia College New York has taken a bold stand in granting its highest awards last year in honor of Bruce Kintz and Hawk Newsome, and in recognizing them as “Servants of Christ.”
